Cassius
SER CASSIUS MOON Tall, pale, lithe and often dressed for combat, Commander Casisus Moon is one of the rare few to ascend the ranks of the Amras Army. Originally the head doctor in the Infirmary, Cassius moved to Combat Medicine when he found out that his ability to heal was better suited for the battlefield. There is a darker side to the Army commander however. His magic is often looked upon as extreme by many of the people in the realm, and rumors of dark practices run rife. Truthfully, Cassius's black armor and pale skin do lend credence to such rumors and often he is found with a serious expression and doing his duty to the crown; be it healing the sick or punishing those who would harm her citizens. Cassius can often be found in his home by the sea, and - until recently - was seen socializing with the likes of Kylar, Rofine, Thea and Mo. If you should ever be in search of the illusive mage, the people of Amras would direct you to one of the people above. Recently, Cassius was made a Knight of the Realm for his work on the front lines in her majesty's service, however a recent battle at the Guard Tower has led to some beleiving that Cassius may be responsible for the damage. Talk and rumors have been flying wildly about the recently knighted commander, some saying he summoned some undead creature, others saying that he himself has become something he was not. Whatever happened, people are unsure of the details. HISTORY Cassius was born in a world where mages were considered royalty. Magic – being the rare creation that it was – was mastered by only a few people who could keep the information in their heads; very few had a knack for it. It was odd then, that Cassius was born with a natural affinity to magic, but not just any magic – it was the rare school of necromancy. Since his father was a simple farm peasant, and his mother was a maid of an eccentric, reclusive mage, it did not take him long to figure out exactly who had spawned his naturally gifted son. After being abandoned to the world, Cassius was raised in an orphanage until he was of age to be trained as a mage. His natural skill kept him in the class, but his lack of book learning meant that ultimately he would fail. As mages who did not graduate were often stripped of power, the fact that Cassius seemed to be able to pull his power form within rather than learned spells made them fearful of what he could accomplish. In the end he was banished, forced into a rift that would send him to another world. This world – although not Amras – was where he met Rofine and Mo. Although their time there was good and he and Rofine eventually became a couple in secret, another portal tossed the three of them into Amras. The initial shock of the entry combined with the damage caused by portal sickness pushed Cassius into his work, using shortcuts in the form of magical horns to channel his power before he was ready. This effect on him resulting in the end of the relationship with Rofine and eventually drove them apart when he left the island after a violent outburst. While there, he was captured and tortured, forced to learn about his true nature as the descendant of an Archlich. After his fortunate escape, he returned the Isle, although his relationship with his friends had suffered irreparably. Throwing himself into his work again, he realized that to release the buildup of death energy in his body, he would need to cause as much harm as he healed. Thankfully, the raising of the land gave him a channel to unleash his stored power. Unfortunately, the person leading the spell of his group lost control and it threatened to kill everyone there, including his former love interest. Sacrificing his own life to save theirs, Cassius died. His body was hidden by Rofine for some months, who eventually learned to let him go, releasing custody of his body to Hikaru. When Cassius finally awoke after what seemed like a lifetime of floating between life and death, he was greeted to a world he was unfamiliar with. When he learned that Rofine and his friends had left him for dead, he joined the Amras army to leave the island and use his power to fight the enemies of the realm. Unfortunately, the shard in his heart – the curse of his ancestry – had grown out of control and was most of the way of fully consuming his heart. Even though his service to the realm on the front lines was rewarded with a knighthood and titles, his inevitable transformation to a full Archlich came about when he went to kill Rofine’s new love interest, believing him to be responsible for her change of heart and seeking vengeance for her implied violation. Now the Cassius of old is gone and a new, powerful Cassius watches the realm of Amras with cold eyes. No guilt. No Compassion. Nothing but dedication to his goal and to reaping a harvest of vengeance over time for the disrespect to him by the people he had the foolishness to trust. “All hail the Heartwraith; the Revenant has come!” APPROVED SKILLS *Necropsionic Combat +9 *Necropsionic Healing +9 *Bladed Staff +4 *Command Death +4 FACTS *Cassius is a combat medic in the Amras Army with the rank of Commander. *His ability to heal others is well documented as a magical ability. When finished, it is as if the wound never happened. *Was recently Knighted for his service to the realm. *Is a member of the Thaum, but in a peripheral mannor. *Cassius's black-ringed eyes are recent - since the destruction of the Guard Tower. RUMORS *"The man never sleeps. Never eats. We hear him up all night, just shuffling around. Something not right with that one." - Amras Villager. *"You mean that queer-bait with the girly hair? That guy is an asshole. 'Wanted to see some real sick shit with me and my brother." - Herb. *"I watched him wade to the front line, defend my boys and bring them back, only to fix them up on the spot. You'll never find a braver, deadlier mage on the Isles, I'll wager." - Captain Gallius, Amras Army *"He died. We all saw it. Next thing we know they was dragging away his body. We all saw his face. There was no coming back after what the spell did to him. Whoever that man is, it ain't the Doctor I know." - Guardsman Harris. *"I heard he was screwing that Dark Elf. Wouldn't put it past him..." - A Concerned Citizen *"He saved me and my child. I ain't saying nuffin bad about 'im. Some folk may fear the good doctor, but I'll never forget what he did 'fer me an' mine." - Anne Cross, Bar Wench *"He keeps me clean. 'Fink he's into the boys though... Never takes us up on a freebie." - Skylet, Quill and Quiver resident.